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Exercise for all ages

10 December 2018

BeFit

The Dutch Physical Activity Guidelines tell us that, to promote health and wellbeing, we need to exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day, five days a week. That’s 30 minutes of running, cycling, working out or swimming. But which types of exercise are right for what age?

Age 20-30
Your physical stamina in this third decade of life will be crucial as you get older. If you make sure you’re in peak physical condition in your twenties, you are sure to reap the benefits some years down the line. Try to choose sports that are challenging and demanding, such as interval running.

Age 30-40
Once you hit 30, you start losing muscle mass. This is a progressive decline, which means you won’t feel as strong as you did when you were younger. But the good news is that you can significantly delay this process by regularly breaking a sweat. Ideally, you should stick to a combination of endurance sports (such as running and cycling), power training (working out) and relaxation (yoga).

Age 40-50
In your forties, you should continue with endurance training, but throw in an extra hour of power training to prevent the loss of muscle mass.

Age 50-60
You will start losing bone density around age 50, which you can prevent by engaging in
high-impact physical activities such as walking, jumping rope, tennis and dance.
Choose forms of high-intensity exercise, as this reduces the risk of heart attack.

Age 60+
At this stage of life, it’s more important than ever to work all your muscles – or else you will start losing them fast. This means you should mix up your running and cycling routines (to build your leg muscles) with rowing and golf (to work your biceps). Be sure to also incorporate balancing exercises to train and improve your coordination skills.

How financially fit are you?
Of course, you don’t just want to live a healthy life – you also look forward to a healthy retirement. Well, we’ve got that covered: we keep your pension in top condition by staying on top of market trends and coming up with the right flexible solutions. If you’ve already taken out a pension with BeFrank, you will be able to check your pension progress on your personal pension page, along with important updates. If you are not currently a BeFrank pension customer, be sure to ask your employer about the opportunities available.